World news | The Guardian

Calls for boycott after Swiss watchmaker becomes latest western brand accused of racist imageryThe Swiss watchmaker Swatch has apologised and removed an advert featuring a model pulling the corners of his eyes, after the image prompted accusations of racism and calls for a boycott on Chinese social media.Internet users heavily criticised the slanted eye" gesture made by the Asian male model as racist. Continue reading...

Chung, one of youngest people to get jail sentence under security law, posts Home Office letter agreeing he has well-founded fear of persecution'The Hong Kong independence activist Tony Chung says he has been granted asylum in the UK, two years after fleeing the Chinese region.Chung, 24, revealed the news on his Instagram page on Sunday, the day after the former Hong Kong legislator Ted Hui said he had been granted asylum in Australia. Both Chung and Hui are among dozens of pro-democracy activists targeted with arrest warrants and 1m Hong Kong dollar bounties by authorities. Continue reading...

Reality TV star Matt Wright has pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice

For more than two months, the bright orange butterflies have been descending on Nannup in WA's south-west, attracted by invasive plant species

Lawyer for Transport Workers' Union calls record penalty the darkest day' in airline's 105-year history

David Crisafulli says LNP not touching' policy charging rates among world's highest, as conservationists rubbish industry claims levy causing downturn

Case heads to Brisbane magistrates court after mediation between Justice for Palestine Magan-djin and police fails

Scheme has led to 5,300 arrests and seizure of 630kg of Class A and B drugs, according to Merseyside policeA scheme aimed at tackling gang activity in Liverpool has brought about an increase in public confidence in the police three years since three fatal shootings in the space of a week, police have said.Merseyside police said the scheme, based on the principles of clearing an area of gang activity, holding it so that organised crime cannot return to it, and building a cohesive community, has led to an 300% increase in community intelligence, as well as more than 5,300 arrests and the seizure of about 630kg of Class A and B drugs. Continue reading...

US surfing legend Kelly Slater said on Instagram he was surprised the New South Wales surfer escaped without any injuries

Lexicographers give nod to TikTok generation's enduring influence on English language with latest additionsSkibidi", tradwife" and delulu" are among the new words to have made this year's Cambridge Dictionary in a selection that confirms the increasing influence of the TikTok generation on the English language.For those hoping such that such neologisms would be a passing internet craze, the compilers of the dictionary say they are here to stay. Continue reading...

One of largest rallies in Israel since start of conflict follows general strike to press government to stop military actionTens of thousands of demonstrators have gathered in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, one of the largest demonstrations in Israel since the start of the fighting in October 2023.The rally on Sunday evening was the culmination of a day of nationwide protests and a general strike to pressure the government to halt the military campaign. Bring them all home! Stop the war!" shouted the vast crowd, which had converged on the so-called Hostage Square in Tel Aviv plaza - a focal point for protesters throughout the war. Continue reading...

Steve Witkoff says Russian president agreed to allow US and European allies to offer Ukraine security guarantee and also unspecified concessions on five Ukrainian regionsGermany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, will also be travelling to Washington tomorrow for the Trump-Zelenskyy talks, according to the federal government.The chancellor's spokesperson has been quoted by BBC News as having said:The trip will serve as an exchange of information with US President Donald Trump following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.Chancellor Merz will discuss the status of peace efforts with the heads of state and government and underscore Germany's interest in a swift peace agreement in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's said they had immediately' suspended supplies from Somerby Top Farm after piglets kicked by workersThree of the UK's biggest supermarkets have suspended supplies from a Lincolnshire pig farm after footage filmed covertly by an animal rights organisation appeared to show workers kicking piglets and hitting them with boards and paddles.The footage also suggested the injured pigs with open wounds were packed into pens covered in faeces, with some left lame and writhing in pain. Continue reading...

Report finds more than 1bn handed out to just 217 FTSE 100 bosses in the last financial yearThe bosses of Britain's largest listed companies took home record high pay packets for the third successive year, according to a report.Analysis found that the record set in the last financial year means the average FTSE 100 chief executive is now paid 122 times the salary of the average full-time UK worker. Continue reading...

Rightwing candidates lead polling ahead of fragmented left amid country's worst economic crisis in four decadesBolivians are going to the polls in an election that could mark a shift to the right and the end of nearly 20 years of rule by the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas).The party, which came to power with the first election of Evo Morales in 2005, risks losing its legal status if it fails to reach 3% of the vote - a threshold it has not hit in polls. Continue reading...

Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and others will aim to push back against ceding of Ukraine territory in peace plan'European leaders including Keir Starmer will join Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a White House meeting with Donald Trump on Monday in an extraordinary joint effort to push back on a US-backed plan that would allow Russia to take further Ukrainian territory.As well as the UK prime minister, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, Italy's PM, Giorgia Meloni, and the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, will all accompany Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Continue reading...

Stamp had charisma and star power like no other. Fierce and beautiful in his youth, his screen presence evolved into something more elegant and enduring as the swinging 60s faded from view

North Yorkshire police also confirm discovery of a body in a river in search for missing 12-year-old boyAn 11-year-old girl has died after an incident in the water at a beauty spot in Cornwall, while police searching for a missing 12-year-old boy in North Yorkshire have found a body in a river.Emergency services were called to Wacker Quay on the Lynher River near Torpoint, Cornwall, at about 6pm on Saturday after being alerted about a person in the water, police said. Continue reading...

Former home secretary praises Keir Starmer's success on world stage and says PM can win over sceptical UK publicKeir Starmer and his ministers must not panic" about the threat of Nigel Farage, the former home secretary Jack Straw has said, adding that the prime minister had impressed on the world stage and should show more of that side of himself at home.In an interview with the Guardian, he praised Starmer's intention to recognise a Palestinian state after an ultimatum to Israel - but defended the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, saying he would also have proscribed the direct action group Palestine Action. Continue reading...

It does not matter if they are children,' said Aharon Haliva in recorded comments calling the death toll necessary'The Israeli general who headed military intelligence on 7 October 2023 has said 50 Palestinians must die for every person killed that day and it does not matter now if they are children", in recordings broadcast by Israel's Channel 12 TV station.Aharon Haliva said the toll in Gaza, which he put at more than 50,000 dead, was necessary" as a message to future generations" of Palestinians. Continue reading...

Population devastated by repeated displacement, hunger and lack of medical supplies braces for further humanitarian disasterPalestinians were gripped by fear and anxiety on Sunday after the Israeli military said it was preparing for the forcible displacement of 1 million people from Gaza City.The announcement came days after Israel said it intended to launch a new offensive to seize control of the territory's largest urban centre, in a plan that raised international alarm, and ahead of the IDF's latest attacks in the Palestinian territory which Gaza's health officials said had killed at least 40 people on Saturday including a baby in a tent and people seeking aid. Continue reading...

Productivity Commission chair urges growth mindset' to solve looming problems for future generations ahead of economic summit, while reiterating call to limit AI regulation

Exclusive: Child was born via emergency caesarean at 25 weeks after mother says hospital initially failed to diagnose her appendicitis, court documents show

Schools and parents tell of inexperienced and absent tutors, and slow refunds alongside repeated demands to pay for services never wanted or receivedIn April 2024, Hannah, a teacher in a Kent primary school where she is in charge of music, thought she had successfully set up weekly drum lessons for around 10 children. She had found a company to provide them: Totally Rad, based in the West Midlands.Totally Rad Hub is one of the big players in a part of the education economy that has boomed as public funding for music in state schools has been squeezed: private companies that supply freelance instrument teachers. The company says it has a network of 200 freelance tutors providing instrument lessons to about 300 schools and 5,000 families. Continue reading...

Series aims to follow original in tackling thornier issues', and to support talent from lower-income backgroundsIt was one of the most influential British television series of the last century, renowned for exploring thorny societal issues and bringing the work of emerging talent, such as Ray Winstone, Alison Steadman, Helen Mirren and Dennis Potter, to mass audiences.Now Play for Today is being revived on Channel 5, to give young writers, actors and producers from lower-income backgrounds a way into TV, helped by established talent. Continue reading...

Counter-demonstration offers welcome to refugees as anti-migrant protesters gather outside Cladhan hotelAnti-racism campaigners held a counter-demonstration against people protesting against uncontrolled illegal immigration" outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers in Scotland.

Some MPs received more than 100 emails within 48 hours from the same address criticising the party's energy policy

It's clear that if there is a crisis, it affects both men and women, boys and girls. So what can be done to boost reading?

In 1986 Paul Keating warned the nation was headed towards economic disaster without reform. Now, Jim Chalmers faces a similar dilemma

Protesters holding placards outside City Hall detained on suspicion of displaying item in support of proscribed groupPolice arrested 13 people at a protest in Norfolk on Saturday on suspicion of showing support for the proscribed group Palestine Action.A group assembled outside City Hall in St Peters Street, Norwich, holding placards referencing the organisation, Norfolk police said. The force said they were arrested on suspicion of displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation, contrary to section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Continue reading...

Marah Abu Zuhri, 20, arrived in Pisa on an Italian humanitarian flight along with other critical patientsA 20-year-old Palestinian woman suffering from severe malnutrition who was evacuated from Gaza to Italy this week has died, a hospital in Pisa has said.The woman, named by Italian media as Marah Abu Zuhri, arrived in Pisa on an Italian government humanitarian flight on Wednesday night. Zuhri had come to Italy with her mother on one of three Italian air force flights that arrived this week with a total of 31 critical patients suffering from serious congenital diseases, wounds or amputations, the Italian foreign ministry said at the time. Continue reading...

Police detain 47-year-old on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offence over alleged abuse of Antoine SemenyoA 47-year-old man has been arrested after a Bournemouth player reported being racially abused during his team's match against Liverpool on Friday, police have said.The man from Liverpool was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and has been taken into custody to be interviewed, Merseyside police said. Continue reading...

Debate grows as Senator Laurence Rossignol says we can't organise society by separating children off'Child-free resorts and adult-only hotels are discriminatory, risk creating a society of intolerance and should be banned, a French senator has said, amid a growing debate in France on whether it is inhumane to exclude children from holidays.We can't organise society by separating children off from ourselves in the same way some establishments don't take dogs," said Socialist senator and former French families minister Laurence Rossignol. Children aren't troublesome pets." Continue reading...

Breach at Inflite The Jet Centre is latest in series of leaks involving private information of Afghan refugeesA contractor linked to the UK Ministry of Defence has been hit by a cyber-attack, exposing personal data linked to Afghan resettlement efforts. It is the latest in a series of breaches involving the private information of Afghan refugees.The breach at Inflite The Jet Centre Ltd, a company that provides ground services for flights linked to the UK's defence ministry and the Cabinet Office, has exposed the personal data of up to 3,700 people, including Afghans seeking refuge as part of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy. Continue reading...

From gentrification to immigration, we explore reasons for growing attainment gap between capital and other regions

Leaving Gaza interactive, a portrait by Carly Earl, and columnist Ranjana Srivastava claim media accolades

Far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir posts video showing him confronting Marwan Barghouti, who has spent more than 20 years in Israeli custodyAt least 16 Palestinian people, including five aid seekers, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn, Al Jazeera is reporting, citing medical sources.Here are some of the latest images being sent to us over the newswires from Gaza: Continue reading...

Search for the missing continues in north-west after downpour also sparks deadly flooding and landslides in IndiaA massive cloudburst has triggered flash floods in north-west Pakistan, killing at least 157 people, as rescuers continued to search for people missing after floods in neighbouring India.Mohammad Suhail, a provincial emergency services spokesperson, said 78 bodies were recovered from various parts of Buner district in the north-west province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by noon on Friday, and a further 79 were pulled later from the rubble of collapsed homes and flooded villages. Continue reading...

Company says use of its cloud technology to store millions of intercepted calls would breach terms of serviceMicrosoft has launched an urgent" external inquiry into allegations Israel's military surveillance agency has used the company's technology to facilitate the mass surveillance of Palestinians.The company said on Friday the formal review was in response to a Guardian investigation that revealed how the Unit 8200 spy agency has relied on Microsoft's Azure cloud platform to store a vast collection of everyday Palestinian mobile phone calls. Continue reading...

Ricky Jones was filmed speaking at anti-racism rally after last summer's far-right riots that followed Southport murdersA suspended Labour councillor who called at an anti-racism rally for far-right activists' throats to be cut has been found not guilty of encouraging violent disorder.Ricky Jones, 58, used the phrase disgusting Nazi fascists" in a speech about last summer's far-right protests after the Southport murders, his trial at Snaresbrook crown court heard. Continue reading...

Addressing reception marking 80th anniversary of VJ Day, prime minister says he spoke to Zelenskyy about allies' values as Trump prepares to meet PutinAsylum seekers locked in detention centres as part of Labour's one in, one out" deal have said they had not heard of the scheme before arriving in the UK on small boats and were terrified of being returned to their home countries.The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said the plan to send one small boat arrival back to France in exchange for accepting another to live in the UK would deter the thousands from crossing the Channel.We did not understand what was happening to us when the Home Office moved us from Manston [the former military base in Kent] where we were processed, straight to this place which is like a jail.When we asked why they were bringing some who arrived on the same boat as me here but letting others go free, they did not answer us. They just said it was because we crossed the Channel illegally.I am very frightened here. There are people who have committed crimes in the UK locked up with us. We have done nothing wrong apart from trying to find a safe place.Green party (Matt Youde) - 24%Welsh Labour (Khuram Chowdhry) - 22.7%Plaid Cymru (Neil Roberts) - 18.7%Reform UK (Joseph Martin) - 14.5%Propel (Vincent Yewlett) - 9.6%Independent (Ahmed Samater) - 4.6%Welsh Conservative party (James Hamblin) - 4.1%Welsh Liberal Democrats (Irfan Latif) - 1.8% Continue reading...

Rob Keating, 39, was found guilty of stalking Alexandra Saper earlier this year and had threatened to abduct herA travel influencer stalked by a British man who travelled to her Indonesian home and threatened to kidnap her has strongly criticised police over the way her case was handled.Alexandra Saper, who is from the US, said authorities in the UK and Indonesia did not initially take her two and a half years of hell" seriously and she was told by one British police officer to quit social media. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Marston Holdings apologises to consumers for enforcement fees' errorBritain's biggest bailiff company overcharged people it was pursuing for unpaid debts and has been forced to launch a refunds programme, the Guardian can reveal.Marston Holdings, which is used by companies and state-funded bodies including Transport for London to recover debts and fines, has apologised to consumers after overcharging enforcement fees" related to unpaid road traffic penalties it was chasing. Continue reading...

Jobs expected to go if competition watchdog approves takeover by Associated British Foods

Second night of street violence in several cities after months of anti-government demonstrations boil over

Costs could rise to three times original budget in blow to government's reservoir expansion plansStruggling Thames Water has said a new reservoir in Oxfordshire could cost more than three times the original budget, pushing the eventual cost to be covered by water bill payers to as much as 7.5bn.In a blow to government plans for an expansion in the number of reservoirs across south-east England, the heavily indebted utility said a review of the Abingdon project had sent the estimated cost of construction from 2.2bn to between 5.5bn and 7.5bn. Continue reading...

Black smoke is darkening blood-red skies across the continent - devastating residents and forcing travellers to start searching for coolcations' further north

Author Michael Grunwald reckons with the challenge of food-based climate emissions in his new book We Are Eating the EarthRidding ourselves of fossil fuels has been a tortuously ponderous process and, in the current political era, one that can seem to be in full retreat. But we do have the tools to run our cities, vehicles and industries on clean energy and even through the murk of vested interest, the contours of a post-fossil world are becoming clearer.Our system of producing food, though, is in a relative stone age when it comes to the climate crisis. We continue to raze vast tracts of carbon-rich forests for crop and grazing land thereby creating, by some estimates, as much as a third of all global planet-heating emissions. Continue reading...

Historically cool nations saw hospitals overheating and surge in drownings, wildfires and toxic algal bloomsThe prolonged Nordic heatwave in July was supercharged by the climate crisis and shows no country is safe from climate change", scientists say.Norway, Sweden and Finland have historically cool climates but were hit by soaring temperatures, including a record run of 22 days above 30C (86C) in Finland. Sweden endured 10 straight days of tropical nights", when temperatures did not fall below 20C (68F). Continue reading...

Defend Our Juries confident that September demonstration can lead to group having its ban liftedThe next mass protest in support of the banned group Palestine Action will aim to be twice the size of the last, organisers have said, as they increase pressure on the government to lift its proscription.Last Saturday's protest in Parliament Square was predicated on 500 people signing up but the next one, announced on Wednesday for 6 September, is conditional on 1,000 people agreeing to take part. Continue reading...